[Selectivity tuning in multi-binary eluents for reversed-phase liquid chromatography (RPLC)]

In this article, the retention equation and the relationship between retention parameters and the parameters of molecular structure deduced from statistical thermodynamics in RPLC have been used to explain the difference of selectivity towards a particular species of compounds polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Methanol/water, acetonitrile/water and isopropanol/acetonitrile have been provided in advance, then the retention behaviors of sixteen PAHs under three binary solvent systems have been investigated. It is found that each pair of binary solvents of methanol/water, acetonitrile/water and isopropanol/acetonitrile has its own unique selectivity. The best selectivity obtained for acenaphthene and fluorene is methanol/water system for fluoranthene and pyrene is acetonitrile/water, and for benzo[g,h,i]perylene and dibenzo[a,h]anthracene is isopropanol/acetonitrile. So a three-stepwise gradient elution of multi-binary mobile phase can be chosen for separation of 16 PAHs.